Americans Name Blasting Loud Music and "Chair Hogging" the Top Beach and Pool Misdemeanors

NEWTON, Mass., July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its annual beach and pool etiquette survey of more than 1,400 U.S. travelers, revealing that 83 percent of respondents believe people often violate some form of beach or pool etiquette, up from 74 percent in 2011. Thirty-one percent have asked a stranger to stop behaving rudely at the beach or pool, up from 26 percent last year.

84 percent get agitated when others save beach or pool chairs by leaving belongings on them.

37 percent maintain there should be a 30-minute limit on seating being saved, while a further 30 percent will tolerate up to one hour – and just 14 percent think chair hogging for any longer than that is acceptable.

19 percent maintain that saving chairs should not be allowed for any time period.

Personal Space on the Sand

The closest acceptable distance to sit next to another stranger at a crowded beach is three feet, according to 27 percent – while a further 26 percent set a boundary of six feet, and 15 percent say four feet meets their comfort levels.

On non-crowded sands, 34 percent consider 20 feet to be the closest acceptable distance to sit next to a fellow beach-goer, while 24 percent say seven to ten feet is appropriate, and 18 percent say 11 to 14 feet.

Top Restricted Beach and Pool Zones Travelers Wish for:

Designated Beach Areas

Designated Pool Areas

1. Pet-free areas (55%)

1. Child-free areas (68%)

2. Child-free areas (47%)

2. Mobile device-free areas (29%)

3. Clothing-optional areas (29%)

3. Clothing-optional areas (15%)

Travelers Oppose Waterside Smoking and Shower-Skipping

89 percent think smoking at the pool should be prohibited.

69 percent think that smoking at the beach should not be allowed.

35 percent consider it a breach of etiquette not to rinse off before entering the pool – although 80 percent confess to not always doing so.

"Poor form at the beach and pool can cast a dark cloud over an otherwise sunny experience," said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications at TripAdvisor. "As Americans flock waterside with temperatures on the rise, it's important to have respect for our fellow bathers and remember when it comes to fun in the sun, we're all in it together."

About TripAdvisorTripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 56 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors.